Taj Mahal Labor of Love
Taj Mahal
Labor of Love
Acoustic Sounds
Taj Mahal was born Henry Saint Claire Fredericks in Harlem on May 17th, 1942. He was raised in a West Indian-American and African-American family. He grew up in Springfield, Ma. and in the early 1960’s studied agriculture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He graduated and moved to Los Angeles in 1964 where he formed the Rising Sons with guitarist Ry Cooder. They became the opening act for touring artists including Otis Redding. Taj got to meet and was influenced by various blues legends including Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Lightnin Hopkins and Sleepy John Estes.
Taj signed to Columbia Records in 1968. He released his first self titled album and followed up with “Natch’l Blues”. These two 1968 albums along with 1993’s “Dancing The Blues” remain my favorites. As the creativity of Taj developed he began to explore African and Caribbean sounds and he helped us establish an ear for World Music. His recordings with The Phantom Blues Band include 1997’s “Senor Blues” and 2000’s “Shoutin In Key” both of which earned Taj Grammy Awards.
The organization called the Music Maker Relief Foundation was just being formed in 1993. Taj was immediately enraptured by their mission when he first met their leader Tim Duffy. “The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, was founded to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time. Music Maker will give future generations access to their heritage through documentation and performance programs that build knowledge and appreciation of America’s musical traditions.” Taj joined the foundation’s advisory board. In 1998 Taj began a 42 date tour and Duffy set up his recording equipment wherever they went.
The album is Taj Mahal’s 47th. On it are six solo performances by Taj and seven more duets recorded with Music Maker Relief Foundation artists. All of the songs are previously unreleased performances recorded in 1998.
“Stagger Lee” is a folk song about the murder of Billy Lyons by “Stag” Lee Shelton, a pimp, in St. Louis at Christmas time in 1895. The song was first recorded in 1923. In 1925 Ma Rainey recorded the song with Louis Armstrong on cornet. The definitive version called “Stack O’ Lee Blues” was recorded by Mississippi John Hurt in 1928 on “Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings”. A pop version by Lloyd Price reached #1 in 1959. Taj sings and accompanies himself on guitar.
“Spike Driver Blues” was written by Hurt and also appears on his 1928 session. It is a version of the song “John Henry” the steel drivin man complete with a narrative. Taj’s version is true to the original.
“My Creole Belle” is another Hurt original. Hurt was rediscovered and the song appears on his 1963 album “Avalon Blues”. “Fishin Blues” was first recorded in 1928 by Henry Thomas; Taj’s version just might be the most popular one however. “Walkin Blues” was written and recorded by Son House in 1930.
“Zanzibar” is an original instrumental written by Taj. The song includes a West Indian or African influence. It was reprised on Taj’s 2008 album “Maestro” with a vocal by Angelique Kidjo who is also listed as co-author. It is an example of Taj’s blues as a living tradition.
There are two songs recorded with Piedmont Blues singer-guitarist John Dee Holeman. Holeman was born in 1929 and today is 87 years old. “Mistreated Blues” features him with Taj on piano. “Hambone” features Holeman with Taj as a percussionist as he slaps his knees.
On “Shortnin’ Bread” Taj plays banjo with one armed harmonica player Neal Pattman. Pattman formed a Piedmont duo with guitarist Cootie Stark. “So Sweet” features Stark on guitar with Taj on harp.
“John Henry” features Taj in a duo performance with Piedmont blues guitarist Etta Baker who passed away in 2006 at the age of 93. “I Ain’t The One You Love” is a duet with Piedmont blueswoman Alga Mae Hinton who was also born in 1929 and is also 87 years old. The closer is “Song For Friends”. Taj is joined in a jazzy duet with self-taught guitarist Cool John Ferguson.
Taj states that he enjoyed getting to know the musicians lives and “how they made things work” while getting “closer to the source”. Bonnie Raitt states “From the very start, his impact was really groundbreaking- it’s hard to express how much those first two albums meant to me”.
Raitt is not the only one who feels that way as those two albums are also among my most cherished. When I first saw Taj at The Black Dome in Cincinnati, Ohio; it was 1969 and we sat on the floor. Chuck Blackwell was on drums, Gary Gilmore on bass; and Jesse Ed Davis on guitar. Did he make an impact? I’m still talking about it today but none of us have walked this road alone.
On September 17th, 2014 Taj Mahal accepted the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Taj stated “I’ve been performing for over fifty years and to be recognized for the road I’ve traveled means the world to me.”
Man it’s been a helluva good ride. Thank you Taj Mahal.
Richard Ludmerer
